diff --git a/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/pact_commands.rb b/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/pact_commands.rb
index e41f3b4f..b89d22f3 100644
--- a/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/pact_commands.rb
+++ b/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/pact_commands.rb
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ def publish_pacts pact_files
                   number: options.consumer_app_version,
                   branch: branch,
                   tags: tags,
-                  build_url: options.build_url,
-                  version_required: (!!options.branch || !!options.build_url || explict_auto_detect_version_properties)
+                  build_url: options.build_url
                 }.compact
 
                 PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts.call(
diff --git a/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way.rb b/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way.rb
index 07ef9ec8..019e111f 100644
--- a/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way.rb
+++ b/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way.rb
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def call
 
       private
 
-      attr_reader :pact_broker_base_url, :pact_file_paths, :consumer_version_number, :branch, :tags, :build_url, :pact_broker_client_options, :version_required
+      attr_reader :pact_broker_base_url, :pact_file_paths, :consumer_version_number, :branch, :tags, :build_url, :pact_broker_client_options
 
       def pact_broker_client
         @pact_broker_client ||= PactBroker::Client::PactBrokerClient.new(base_url: pact_broker_base_url, client_options: pact_broker_client_options)
diff --git a/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task.rb b/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task.rb
index 84f36554..08af69a3 100644
--- a/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task.rb
+++ b/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task.rb
@@ -28,31 +28,25 @@ class PublicationTask < ::Rake::TaskLib
       def initialize name = nil, &block
         @name = name
         @auto_detect_version_properties = nil
-        @version_required = false
         @pattern = 'spec/pacts/*.json'
         @pact_broker_base_url = 'http://pact-broker'
         rake_task &block
       end
 
       def auto_detect_version_properties= auto_detect_version_properties
-        @version_required = version_required || auto_detect_version_properties
         @auto_detect_version_properties = auto_detect_version_properties
       end
 
       def branch= branch
-        @version_required = version_required || !!branch
         @branch = branch
       end
 
       def build_url= build_url
-        @version_required = version_required || !!build_url
         @build_url = build_url
       end
 
       private
 
-      attr_reader :version_required
-
       def rake_task &block
         namespace :pact do
           desc "Publish pacts to pact broker"
@@ -62,7 +56,7 @@ def rake_task &block
             pact_broker_client_options = { write: write_method, token: pact_broker_token }
             pact_broker_client_options[:basic_auth] = pact_broker_basic_auth if pact_broker_basic_auth && pact_broker_basic_auth.any?
             pact_broker_client_options.compact!
-            consumer_version_params = { number: consumer_version, branch: the_branch, build_url: build_url, tags: all_tags, version_required: version_required }.compact
+            consumer_version_params = { number: consumer_version, branch: the_branch, build_url: build_url, tags: all_tags }.compact
             result = PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts.new(pact_broker_base_url, FileList[pattern], consumer_version_params, {}, pact_broker_client_options).call
             $stdout.puts result.message
             raise "One or more pacts failed to be published" unless result.success
diff --git a/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/broker_publish_spec.rb b/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/broker_publish_spec.rb
index 52a28a4c..19e44a4a 100644
--- a/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/broker_publish_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/cli/broker_publish_spec.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module PactBroker::Client::CLI
           expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:call).with(
             "http://pact-broker",
             ["spec/support/cli_test_pacts/foo.json"],
-            { number: "1.2.3", tags: [], version_required: false },
+            { number: "1.2.3", tags: [] },
             {},
             { pact_broker_base_url: 'http://pact-broker' }
           )
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ module PactBroker::Client::CLI
           expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:call).with(
             anything,
             anything,
-            hash_including(branch: "main", version_required: true),
+            hash_including(branch: "main"),
             anything,
             anything
           )
@@ -159,32 +159,6 @@ module PactBroker::Client::CLI
         end
       end
 
-      context "with --auto-detect-version-properties on by default" do
-        before do
-          subject.options = OpenStruct.new(
-            minimum_valid_options.merge(auto_detect_version_properties: true)
-          )
-          allow(subject).to receive(:explict_auto_detect_version_properties).and_return(false)
-        end
-
-        it "determines the git branch name" do
-          expect(PactBroker::Client::Git).to receive(:branch).with(raise_error: false)
-          invoke_broker
-        end
-
-        it "passes in the auto detected branch option with version_required: false" do
-          expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:call).with(
-            anything,
-            anything,
-            hash_including(branch: "bar", version_required: false),
-            anything,
-            anything
-          )
-          invoke_broker
-        end
-      end
-
-
       context "with --auto-detect-version-properties specified explicitly" do
         before do
           subject.options = OpenStruct.new(
@@ -198,11 +172,11 @@ module PactBroker::Client::CLI
           invoke_broker
         end
 
-        it "passes in the auto detected branch option with version_required: true" do
+        it "passes in the auto detected branch option" do
           expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:call).with(
             anything,
             anything,
-            hash_including(branch: "bar", version_required: true),
+            hash_including(branch: "bar"),
             anything,
             anything
           )
@@ -220,7 +194,7 @@ module PactBroker::Client::CLI
             expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:call).with(
               anything,
               anything,
-              hash_including(branch: "specified-branch", version_required: true),
+              hash_including(branch: "specified-branch"),
               anything,
               anything
             )
diff --git a/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way_spec.rb b/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way_spec.rb
index a997b269..5ff881cd 100644
--- a/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/publish_pacts_the_old_way_spec.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ module Client
       let(:tags) { nil }
       let(:branch) { nil }
       let(:build_url) { nil }
-      let(:version_required) { false }
       let(:pact_hash) { { consumer: { name: 'Consumer'}, provider: { name: 'Provider' }, interactions: [] } }
       let(:pact_hash_2) { {consumer: { name: 'Foo' }, provider: { name: 'Bar' }, interactions: [] } }
       let(:pacts_client) { instance_double("PactBroker::ClientSupport::Pacts")}
@@ -48,8 +47,7 @@ module Client
           number: consumer_version,
           branch: branch,
           tags: tags,
-          build_url: build_url,
-          version_required: version_required
+          build_url: build_url
         }
       end
       let(:pact_broker_client_options) do
diff --git a/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task_spec.rb b/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task_spec.rb
index 6908be3f..1e947de1 100644
--- a/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/pact_broker/client/tasks/publication_task_spec.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ module PactBroker::Client
 
       context "when pacts are succesfully published" do
         it "invokes PublishPacts with the default values" do
-          expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:new).with('http://pact-broker', pact_file_list, { number: '1.2.3', branch: "foo", tags: [], version_required: false}, {}, {}).and_return(publish_pacts)
+          expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:new).with('http://pact-broker', pact_file_list, { number: '1.2.3', branch: "foo", tags: [] }, {}, {}).and_return(publish_pacts)
           expect(publish_pacts).to receive(:call).and_return(result)
           Rake::Task['pact:publish'].execute
         end
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ module PactBroker::Client
       end
 
       it "invokes PublishPacts with the write method set" do
-        expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:new).with('http://pact-broker', pact_file_list, { number: "1.2.3", branch: "foo", tags: [], version_required: false }, {}, {write: :merge}).and_return(publish_pacts)
+        expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:new).with('http://pact-broker', pact_file_list, { number: "1.2.3", branch: "foo", tags: [] }, {}, {write: :merge}).and_return(publish_pacts)
         expect(publish_pacts).to receive(:call).and_return(result)
         Rake::Task['pact:publish:merge'].execute
       end
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ module PactBroker::Client
         expect(PactBroker::Client::PublishPacts).to receive(:new).with(
           @pact_broker_base_url,
           pact_file_list,
-          { number: "1.2.3", tags: [@tag], branch: "foo", version_required: false},
+          { number: "1.2.3", tags: [@tag], branch: "foo" },
           {},
           { basic_auth: @pact_broker_basic_auth, token: @pact_broker_token }
         )